I, Noelle, Persuade With Reason! [19]

Oh wow.

Referee, foul! She clearly bumped me on purpose!

Noelle was caught off guard as Amber threw herself enthusiastically into her arms. She stumbled backward a few steps before regaining her balance.

In the process, Fischl was forced to release Noelle’s hand.

“Sorry, I’m a bit late,” Noelle gently patted Amber’s back, explaining with a soft smile.

“No worries, I was just a little bored, hehe. You're... Fischl, right?” Amber released Noelle, turning to Fischl with curiosity.

Fischl was aware that Amber and Noelle had grown close recently, often going for morning jogs together.

“Knowing the true name of the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, thou must be blessed by fate itself. Rejoice, for destiny has brought us together,” Fischl declared, somewhat envious of Amber’s casual closeness with Noelle.

“What she means is, ‘Nice to meet you, Amber,’” Oz quickly translated.

“Mm, I've heard of you, though we haven't met properly before. We’re about to clear out this temple—would you like to join?” Amber swiftly adjusted herself. Although she didn't quite understand Fischl, she bore no ill intentions toward her.

“Darkness encroaches upon the world, and all living beings face calamity. This Prinzessin has descended precisely to cleanse evil and protect the innocent.” Fischl clasped her hands dramatically over her heart, eyes filled with compassionate melancholy.

Amber looked bewildered. Lumine and Paimon exchanged puzzled glances.

Noelle, meanwhile, felt an overwhelming urge to pinch Fischl’s cute cheeks. Did she grow up eating nothing but sugary sweets?

Oz coughed lightly and hurriedly clarified: “She means she's here to assist you.”

“Oz!” Fischl panicked, quickly calling out to him.

“Oh—um, we were just passing by. Indeed, that's exactly right.” Oz hastily corrected himself. He’d nearly given Fischl away; Noelle mustn't learn that Fischl was intentionally seeking her out.

Noelle wasn’t dense; she caught Oz’s slip. Still, she wondered why Fischl was interested in the Knights’ mission. Was she here because of her or Lumine?

To spare Fischl embarrassment, Noelle stepped forward, addressing Amber and Lumine. “Let’s go together. The more, the merrier.”

Neither Amber nor Lumine objected, allowing Fischl to smoothly join their party. The four girls—alongside their two companions—soon entered the Temple of the Falcon.

Amber led the way, quickly moving to the control panel and expertly opening the second door.

Curiously, Noelle examined the ancient mechanisms, then followed Amber deeper into the temple.

Looking around, she saw ruins illuminated by bright, unnatural light. Raising her head, she marveled at the strange upside-down mountains hanging from above, wrapped in a gentle, pink mist. Rays of strong light occasionally pierced through, making her momentarily forget this wasn't actually above ground.

Noelle was eager to know if this massive underground space was naturally formed or artificially constructed. If it was natural, it defied imagination; if built by human hands, how much manpower and resources would it have required?

She doubted present-day Mondstadt could achieve such a feat.

Lumine noticed Noelle staring blankly upward and followed her gaze but saw nothing remarkable.

“What’s up?” Paimon flipped in mid-air, curious.

“I'm just wondering what might be hidden within those pink clouds. Is the ground beneath our feet hollow? How are these buildings suspended? And just how big is this temple, anyway?”

Noelle rattled off three questions at once, instantly overwhelming poor Paimon.

“Uwah~ My head’s too small for complicated questions!” Paimon removed her crown and tapped her head gently, spreading her arms in defeat.

Beside them, Fischl grew excited. She'd been searching for an opportunity to showcase her “abilities” as the Prinzessin der Verurteilung, and now was the perfect chance.

“For my maid to take an interest in the humble gardens within my realm is truly admirable. Oz, measure the dimensions of heaven and earth with thy wings. Destiny shall empower thee,” Fischl commanded grandly, chuckling softly.

“Huh? Don’t push me beyond my limits!” Oz firmly refused. Who knew what horrors might lurk in hidden corners? Clearly, some catastrophic event had ravaged this place; caution was crucial.

Fischl looked disappointed, quickly glancing at Noelle, who smiled reassuringly in return.

“No need, I was just thinking out loud. Safety first.” Noelle gently explained, hoping Fischl wouldn’t misunderstand.

“Thank you for understanding,” Oz sighed in relief. Had Noelle insisted, Fischl probably would’ve forced him to explore. She was far too desperate to protect this newfound friendship.

Noelle’s questions also stirred Lumine’s curiosity. She glanced at Paimon, already predicting she'd say something like, “Let’s explore that area later.” It seemed wiser to wait until she'd regained her full strength, then return with Noelle—and hopefully her brother—to thoroughly investigate.

Amber cuddled Baron Bunny lovingly, hesitating before reluctantly putting him back.

After the brief interlude, the group resumed their mission.

Lumine discovered a treasure chest hidden behind thorny vines. Being the only one who could use Pyro, Amber imbued her arrow with fire, swiftly burning the vines away. Turning around, she caught Noelle watching her intently, seemingly impressed, making Amber feel secretly pleased.

In reality, Noelle was recalling Amber’s nickname, though she was genuinely impressed by Amber’s precise archery skills upon witnessing them firsthand.

As the vines slowly burned, Lumine and Amber crouched expectantly beside the chest.

Fischl's attention remained fixed on Noelle, while Noelle herself was more interested in barrels scattered around. Treasure chests didn't attract her as much as the potential ingredients hidden inside barrels.

She cracked open the first barrel—only musty air. The second revealed a single fresh carrot.

This blind-box feeling is surprisingly fun.

Holding her [Debate Club] high, Noelle smashed every barrel and crate in sight but found only the one carrot.

As she bent down to pick it up, Paimon swooped in unexpectedly, snatching it first. Holding the carrot tightly, Paimon stared up at Noelle with pleading eyes.

“Go ahead.” Smiling, Noelle patted Paimon’s head fondly. Crunching contentedly, Paimon devoured it like an adorable squirrel.

Seeing this, Noelle gave her another carrot, deeply moving Paimon, who praised her enthusiastically as a “good person.”

Meanwhile, Lumine opened the treasure chest, revealing a piece of raw meat and a minor artifact. Neither Noelle, Amber, nor Fischl were interested, so Lumine happily took everything.

After clearing everything nearby, the group moved forward. Amber used fire again, burning away a barrier to reveal a mysterious Resurrection Door.

A Hilichurl wielding a wooden shield spotted them but didn’t immediately attack.

Noelle paused, recalling a Hilichurl curse she'd learned on the way to finding Klee. Curiously, she spoke the insult aloud.

Immediately, the Hilichurl flew into a rage, brandishing its club and charging aggressively. Two other Hilichurls appeared from an adjacent room, equally furious.

The trio clustered angrily beneath a high wall, roaring uselessly at the unreachable humans above.

Noelle smiled mischievously. Hilichurls are surprisingly entertaining. So she repeated the insult a few more times.

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This is a fan translation of 我，诺艾尔，以理服人！ by 暗香浮动 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!